There is often a need to be able to securely, yet removably, mount an object to a structure made up of a series of spaced apart spindles or slats. For example, it may be desirable to attach a flower box to a porch railing. Many mobiles, music boxes, hanging toys, and other devices are intended to be fastened to the side of a crib. Typically, a clamp is used to fasten the device to the side of the crib. The clamp for mounting the product to the crib must be secure, and be adjustable to accommodate a variety of crib sizes and designs. Current clamping devices typically suffer from installation difficulties which compromise clamping strength and stability.
For example, a railing or crib are typically made of vertical spindles or slats mounted between an upper and a lower horizontal rail, such that the spindles or slats are typically spaced apart by a few inches. The thickness of the spindles or slats will vary among different crib designs. Therefore, clamps for attaching devices to the crib or railing must be designed to accommodate spindles and slats having a variety of different thickness. In addition, the upper horizontal rail is typically wider than the spindles or slats so that the rail overhangs the spindles or slats in the front and back. Therefore, clamps for attaching devices to the crib or railing must be designed to accommodate the overhang so that the mounted device will be oriented vertically. Moreover, a clamp should have an adjustable standoff because the amount by which the top railing overhangs the spindles or slats differs among various crib styles or designs.
In a typical design, a clamp includes a threaded shaft that projects horizontally from a lower end of the device, e.g., a mobile, being attached to a crib. The device is positioned adjacent to the side of the crib so that the threaded shaft passes between the vertical slats. A clamp nut, large enough to span the gap between the crib slats, is threaded onto the shaft and tightened to clamp the slats between the clamp nut and the lower end of the device. To accommodate an overhang of the upper horizontal rail, a threaded jam nut may be threaded onto the shaft prior to passing the shaft between the slats. The jam nut, which is also large enough to span the gap between the slats, is positioned on the shaft to provide the requisite standoff needed to accommodate the top rail overhang. The clamp nut is then tightened to clamp the slats between the large nut and the jam nut.
However, adjustment of the jam nut is typically awkward and time-consuming. End users may incorrectly adjust the jam nut when installing a mobile or other device on a crib, resulting in the mobile or other device being mounted at an angle instead of vertically. This may in turn result in improper operation of the mobile or in reduced aesthetics.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a clamp that is easier and faster to adjust and install without compromising clamping force. It would also be desirable to provide such a clamp that is attractive and inexpensive to manufacture.